


No Business Like Show Business

by Syntin



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Actor!AU, Alternate Universe, Azura - Freeform, F/F, Human AU, Lesbianism, Lumity, Slow Burn, The good witch azura, hecate - Freeform, inaccurate depictions of tv show acting lol, slight mentions of camileda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:16:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23789950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syntin/pseuds/Syntin
Summary: Luz Noceda was a sucker for any and all things Good Witch Azura, so imagine her surprise when a live-action tv show audition for that very series fell right into her lap. Being an actor may be a lot harder than she had anticipated, but that cute girl with the pretty eyes and sharp eye-liner might make the struggle worth it.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 22
Kudos: 170





	1. Chapter 1

Luz sat staring at her monitor, indecision written clearly on her face. “The Good Witch Azura: Live Action TV Show Auditions” Read the header of the website she’d found. The words captivated her, possibilities taunting her endlessly. She felt as though they were mocking her like little devils poking at her shoulder. This was her childhood dream! She was an avid collector of The Good Witch Azura series, knowing every word in each book by heart. If someone were to hold her at gunpoint and ask her to recite the book by memory she would confidently ask “Forwards or backwards?” 

She wasn’t much of an actor, in fact she had zero experience in that field or any sort of work that involved her being in front of a camera for hours on end. This did little to deter her racing mind however, the desire to chase her dream of bringing Azura to life was all consuming. Luz really had nothing to lose. The glaring issue was having to convince her mom to allow her to audition. Not only that, but to also drive her to the audition, and to the set every day, were she to get accepted.

The chances of that happening were slim, especially because her mother was a busy nurse with little time on her hands. It sure didn’t hurt to try though.

Her cursor hovered over the audition’s date and time longingly, hoping that if she stared at it long enough, she'd magically get the role and could put her anxiety to rest. Luz leaned back on her chair and let out an exasperated sigh, dropping her arms onto her lap instead of lingering above her keyboard. Lazily, she laid her head back and stared up at the ceiling in deep thought. She began spinning in her chair absentmindedly, kicking her feet back to gain speed. At this rate, she’d never even come close to enrolling.

So it began.

She started out with a simple question, “Hey mom. Did you hear about that live-action Azura show they’re making?” spoken with nonchalance, almost like it was an afterthought. This then evolved into “There’s auditions being held to take part in it, I heard they’re being hosted super close.”

Her mother sent her a knowing look, her face seemingly amused and one eyebrow raised higher than the other. She was in the middle of cooking dinner so she had a spatula in hand, keeping close watch on the sizzling pans on top of the stove.

“Coincidentally, for teens… y'know, like me.” Luz continued nervously, wringing her hands out in anticipation of the oncoming denial.

“Listen mija, you know I’d love to but-“ 

There it was. 

Nevertheless, that would not discourage Luz.

Later they sat at the dinner table, eating in a comfortable silence.

“So mom, about that audition.” She asked around a mouthful of rice.

“Luz, you know my schedule is packed as it is.” As expected, she was denied once again. Her mom narrowed her eyebrows disapprovingly “And don't talk with your mouth full sweetie, no seas asquerosa.”

This time, Luz took her time in chewing through her food and swallowing before carefully starting up again. “Sorry, mom. But you know how much I love the good witch Azura series! I have every line memorized, if I performed I’d knock it out the park!” She raised her arms up and pumped her fists enthusiastically, accidentally tipping over her bowl of soup in the process and causing soggy carrots to spill out all over the table. “Wuh oh” Luz’s eyes widened and she rushed to clean up the mess with a napkin.

Camilia pursed her lips and pierced through a slab of perfectly seasoned steak with a fork as she watched her daughter hastily wipe down the table “It’s not that I don’t believe in you mija but you can be a little too…” Camilia waved her hand dismissively, recalling the last time Luz was part of a school play, specifically the sausage incident. “Much.” She finished simply, giving her daughter an apologetic look.

“But mom! This is show business, not a terrible ‘child-friendly’ rendition of Romeo and Juliet! I still don't see what the problem is, the guts were added special effects.” Luz pouted in response, crossing her arms and letting loose a humph in discontent.

“And that’s exactly why. Professional acting is hard work honey, it’s not like in those cartoons you watch, it’s a real job that takes hours off your day and works you to the bone. Not to mention all the unwanted attention.” Camilia leaned across the table and gently placed her hand over her daughter’s own and squeezed. “This is real-life sweetie, not a romanticized fantasy.”

It went quiet for a moment as Luz met her mother’s eyes. They seemingly had an entire conversation spoken only through the sincerity in each other’s gazes. Luz broke the stillness with one final push. “Isn’t that what you want for me mom? It’s a job, a real job, and I’ll have other kids my age working with me. I can make friends and learn about real-life values.” A lightbulb went off above Luz’s head and she shifted to start digging through her short’s pockets. She delicately pulled out a crumpled pamphlet and straightened it out, reading the words “Reality Check Camp” on the front. She flipped the paper onto the table and pushed it towards her mom. “Instead of going here, I can do- err“ Luz looked around the room in thought and clicked her tongue. “Hands-on learning! I can experience a real-life work environment in something I really enjoy.”

Her mom still looked unconvinced. 

“Por favor mama, this is all I've ever wanted. There isn't even a guarantee that I’ll get accepted, just let me try.” As a last-ditch attempt, Luz pulled out her secret weapon, the puppy dog eyes.

Her mom let out a deep sigh in surrender. She pulled out her phone and slid her finger across the screen in search of the ‘calendar’ app. “Okay mi lucita, I’ll see if I can swap my shift at work. For now finish your food alright? We’ll discuss this more tomorrow”

Luz’s mouth split into the widest grin. She felt as if she could fly.

\--

It was the day of the audition and Luz could barely sit still. She was all over the place, both physically and metaphorically. The moment the first rays of sunlight flashed against her eyelids she was awake. Jumping out of bed she belted out a giddy squeal, unable to contain her excitement for the day ahead. She glanced behind her in search of her bedroom clock, only to let out a frustrated groan. Her anxious energy had woken her up far too early. The audition was at 5pm, and here she was raring to go at a staggering 7am. Usually she would sleep well into the afternoon, but the sheer apprehension of today’s events had her feeling unusually restless.

With no hope of getting any more sleep, Luz would just have to find a way to spend her time until then. First order of business was brushing her teeth and breakfast right after, so with a pep in her step, she sprang into the bathroom to hunt down her toothbrush.

Breakfast with her mom was more hectic than usual. Luz was talking her mother's ear off about Azura this and Azura that, frankly she was shocked her mom was kind enough to follow along and nod every so often in faux understanding. She wasn’t even sure if she’d downed all of her cereal, her mind so preoccupied with azura related thoughts. What scenes would be cut from the books? What scenes would be ADDED? Would she meet any new friends at the audition? Her body would have to go without its vital nutrients for today, there were more important things to worry about.

It wasn’t long until Camilia had finished her own breakfast, curtly departing to go wash the dishes that had piled up in the sink. Luz kept on talking undeterred, assuming her voice would travel all the way to the kitchen.

“Luz, go take the trash out sweetie.” Her mom cut her spiel off short and Luz shut her mouth as she realized she’d been rambling for well over 30 minutes. She tugged her phone out of her pocket and switched it on to check the time. 8:45 am.

“You got it mom.” Luz bound out of the wooden chair and headed into the kitchen to fulfill the task. With nothing else to do, she might as well start up on some chores then snuggle into bed watching anime until the time was right.

-

In what felt like no time at all the clock read 5 pm and they were there. Luz had giddily pushed open the car door and staggered outside, looking up in awe at the sleek, modern and totally huge building in front of her. All the walls were made of tinted glass, making it look both fragile and imposing at the same time, it’s cutting-edge style was a far cry from the surrounding run-down establishments. She snapped out of her temporary trance and pranced towards the unfamiliar building. She could barely contain herself! wasting no time in waiting for her mom to catch up she practically tore open the tinted door. She wanted to start hollering at the top of her lungs countless lines of dialogue from the Azura books and break out into a dance, but those thoughts were soon brought to a screeching halt. The building was packed! Luz stood on the tips of her toes and peered over the dozens of people, trying to gauge approximately how long each audition would take before it was her turn. A huge mass of the strangers surrounded two flyer strewn tables near the entrance, where she assumed the receptionists were sat.

Luz felt the energy whoosh out of her body like a whoopee cushion that had just been stepped on. This would take an eternity! Not only to sign in but to also wait her turn to audition... the despair began creeping in.

She had expected this to be her big chance to prove herself, but as she gazed across a sea of very professional looking actors it began to dawn on her that that would be a far more difficult task than she had anticipated. 

The small bells above the entrance doors jingled and Luz spun on her heels, noticing her mother finally walking in. Oh yeah, she had left her alone. She smiled sheepishly at her mom who leveled her with a deadpan gaze in response. Without a word, her mom headed towards the back of the line and Luz followed along closely, keeping a curious watch on their surroundings. 

Off in the far corner of the room was a half-open door, a sign labeled ‘auditions’ hanging above it. A tall woman dressed in dark clothing with the words ‘Security’ pasted on the front stood guarding the entrance.Her plain yet practical hairstyle framed a look of disinterest on her young face. From the looks of it, she was preoccupying herself with counting each and every tile on the ceiling.

Luz could relate. 

Somebody came up to the woman shuffling several papers in his hands. She stared him down coldly. “Move it pal, each audition is private, you’ll get your turn eventually.” The man shook his papers in distress and stuttered out, “N-no no, you're misunderstood, I’m an agent hired by the Blights, my client is in there right now.”

The security guard’s eyes shone in familiarity and she let loose an amused grin. “Well why didn’t you say so! I didn’t know the hot shot was on now. Here, I’ll show you to the room.” She politely pushed open the door for him while muttering “Beats standing around here doing nothing.” under her breath. The man tapped the sides of his papers to neatly organize them before delicately depositing them into his already vastly overstuffed satchel. They disappeared through the door with Luz still observing from afar, a terrible idea invading her head.

“It does beat standing out here doing nothing…” Luz whispered out in thought. If she could get in there… she could watch other people’s auditions rather than stare at somebody’s back for the next hour. Luz looked back at the reception desk littered in sign up sheets. A pale girl around her age was currently filling one out. She had short dark hair that curled inwards at the bottom, and a pair of thick round glasses were perched atop her cute button nose. A staff member stood beside the desk collecting several papers to hand out. He politely wished the girl good luck, delivering her a sincere smile. At the rate this line was moving she definitely had to get into that audition room to splurge some time, for the sake of her sanity. Luz clapped her hands and grinned slyly, already coming up with a distraction.

“Hey mom? I gotta go to the bathroom.” Luz yanked a load of flyers out of the hands of a passing staff member and thrust them into her mom's hands. “Look through these super interesting flyers and not at that inconspicuous door over there.” Camila let out a confused hum, shifting her stance to properly face her daughter. “Luz? What are-”

“If I’m late just fill the form out for me, okay thanks love you BYE!” Luz hurried through her words, speaking so quickly she was nearly incomprehensible to anybody else. Offering no other explanation she bolted before her mom could retort.

The flyer-wielding employees circled the room like vultures, their sharp eyes searching for a new victim to bombard with fake service smiles and sales pitches. In an effort to avoid suspicion Luz fixed her pace and sauntered over to a vending machine placed conveniently close to the audition door. Scratching her chin exaggeratedly in thought she surveyed the options in snacks, her eyes flitting from bag to bag. So many options, so little money.

With a quick glance around the room she determined she had successfully avoided arousing any suspicion. Or perhaps no one actually cared. Be that as it may, Luz stuck her hands in her pockets and began whistling out a tune. The staff had all run short of pamphlets so they formed a small group and wandered off, presumably to a break room of some sort. As soon as the last of them had disappeared from sight, Luz made a beeline for the ‘audition’ room and stumbled in, shoving the door shut behind her with a less than graceful flourish.

Ahead of her was a short, dim hallway decorated by a maroon carpeted floor, freshly painted white walls and 2 doors lining each side. Luz had never been to an audition before but so far nothing had been how she’d pictured it. She hadn't long to celebrate her successful infiltration, as almost instantly the silence was shattered by the sound of approaching footsteps.

The security guard! 

Her gaze shifted from door to door, weighing her options in the few seconds she had left. Each foot fall thundered and echoed through the hallway like a gunshot, piercing its way into her brain and making her muscles tense from head to toe. No time to think, Luz had to put this one into fate’s hands. Eenie meenie miney-

A hulking shadow loomed against the back wall as a figure began rounding the corner. All out of spare seconds, Luz flung herself through the nearest doorway like her life depended on it.

Slamming her whole body back against the door she sucked in a breath, her heart thudding out of her chest so hard she was scared the sound of it would give her away. Luz listened as the footsteps walked up to the door she leant against, then continued walking until they faded into nothing. She finally allowed herself to breathe again, mumbling “Moe” with a chuckle.

“Who's Moe and who are you?” 

Luz swore she felt her soul leave her body then and there. Her muscles locked up for a second time and her heartbeat took up its pounding with a vengeance. With a loud gulp and choosing to ignore the sweat beading on her forehead, she turned around as if in slow motion, only to find herself faced with someone's pant covered legs. The more her eyes followed up the monstrous figure’s form, highlighted by the fluorescent lights behind her, the more Luz realized just how tall this person was.

She could easily tower that security guard outside and at this point Luz had only 1 weapon left at her disposal.

Dropping to her knees, scrunching her eyes shut and throwing her arms up into the air pleadingly she cried out, “I'M SO SO SOOO SORRY, I KNOW I SHOULDN'T BE HERE PLEASE DONT KICK ME OUT OF THE AUDITION.”

There was a slight pause before the woman responded, “Kick you out? Are you not the Blight kid my sister keeps yammering about?” 

Luz cracked open an eye slowly before both widened in surprise as they met the most peculiar set of eyes she had ever seen. The woman’s irises were a hazel colour so bright they looked almost golden. She had her head cocked to the side in confusion, her heavy orange locks cascading around her. The first thought that barged into Luz’s brain was ‘Big’. She had such thick, wild hair, Luz wondered how she lived in that thing… or what lived in that thing. Seriously, that nest could house a whole family of critters.

“I… no? Who’s Blight?” Luz responded with her own head tilt of confusion.

“Nevermind kid, who are you and why are you back here.” The woman’s tone shifted and she abruptly masked her confusion with a disapproving frown. Her furrowed brows and piercing gaze made goosebumps break out across Luz’s skin.

“My name’s Luz Noceda, I’m so sorry for sneaking in like this, I just really wanted to see the auditions and thought if I got past the guard I could-“

“Woah, hold on reel it back kid.” A toothy, shark-like grin broke out across the woman’s face, her roguish eyes gleaming. “You got past that hulking muscle-head?” The strange woman snorted and slapped her knee, guffawing with glee.

“I mean it wasn't exactly hard… she just walked off and left the door unguarded. Made my job super easy.” 

The grin widened impossibly further, “Ohh that is golden. Luz, was it? How about we make a deal?” Luz noticed the woman had extended her hand. Her lips formed into a tight, straight line and she crossed her arms with a suspicious hum. 

“I don’t know, I’m not supposed to be making deals with strangers.” She said warily, her eyes fixated on the hand hovering before her.

“It's nothing bad, just help me find my clipboard so i can write notes on these little dweeb’s performances.” She waved her hand dismissively and looked vacantly off to the side in thought, snapping her gaze back as an idea struck her. “I'll let you off scott free if you do it.”

“Aaand I can watch the performance?” Luz added with a hopeful tone, eyes brimming with excitement.

“You're pushing it, kid.” She could practically feel the reluctance dripping from the woman’s words.

“Sorry.” Luz smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Honestly, if it were up to me I wouldn’t care, but my sister’s got a stick up her a-“ the red head paused, reconsidered her word choice, and let out a small cough. “Anyways, if you can put those stealth skills of yours to good use and get away with it sure, but if you get caught we never met.” She poked Luz’s shoulder in emphasis but let a playful smile tug at her lips.

Making up her mind Luz nodded, before grabbing hold of the woman’s outstretched hand and using it to pull herself up.

“The name’s Eda by the way.”

Luz hummed aloud and dusted herself off. “How long until the current audition starts?” she peered up at Eda who slumped and let out a low grumble. “10 minutes ago.” 

Luz swore her jaw dropped to the floor in that instant, eyes wide like saucers. “10 minutes ago!? You’re crazy late! Aren’t judges supposed to be punctua-“ Eda dumped a maroon bag into Luz’s arms to silence her yapping.

“Alright, alright I get it. Don't nag me, I’m your elder and your judge.” She rolled her eyes. “I get enough of that as it is from my sister.” As soon as she finished speaking, three curt knocks sounded at the door. Both Luz and Eda shared a quizzical look before switching their focus to the source of the knocking. “Speak of the devil and she shall appear.” The red head muttered.

“Edalyn! Get out here right now! Your tardiness will not be tolerated any longer!” Eda winced at her sister’s harsh tone and turned to Luz in desperation. “Listen, look through that bag and see if my clipboard is in there somewhere or-“ Eda made a vague gesture to the whole room. “Anywhere in this room. I'm counting on you here.”

Not giving Luz a chance to reply Eda stepped out of the room to meet her sister’s wrath. Before the door even had a chance to click shut, the booming drone of a heated lecture on ‘responsibility’ sprang to life.

“Oh man, would not wanna be her right now.” Luz clumsily untied the cotton bag that was handed to her and stuck her head in. It was filled with several small trinkets and books, none of them resembling a clipboard. She removed her head from the bag and shook her hair out to tousle it, then smoothed the flyaways down with the palm of her hand.

Now she had to rummage around the rest of the room. She surveyed the area, taking note of the dingy graying walls and slightly torn rug. This room was certainly less taken care of than the hallway… it had an eerie feeling that left a bad taste in her mouth. A linen covered table caught her eye, one side slanted by a nearly unnoticeable amount, only given away by the slight teeter it gave in response to an incoming breeze from the ac system. Luz stepped closer, catching sight of a slim wooden board below the sheet as its edges whipped up from the breeze.

She dropped onto her knees and reached forward, the tips of her fingers grazing smooth wood. Upon further inspection, she was able to verify it was a clipboard, but it was being used for something else. It had been placed haphazardly underneath one of the table legs, Luz assumed to try and remedy the wobble. Yeah, Eda seemed like the type to do this and immediately forget about it.

Luz yanked the clipboard out and rubbed off the smudge of dirt left behind by the bottom of the leg. She hurriedly jogged back to where the loud argument was still taking place and tried sliding the clipboard below the door.

“Lily it was a simple mistake! I misplaced it somewhere bu-“ Eda’s eyes flitted down to her shoes where she caught sight of the aforementioned clipboard poking her feet in alarm. “-uuut actually, it’s right here.” She crouched down and took hold of it, bringing it back up to display it to her sister proudly. “Silly me! Now that that's all sorted out, lets get on with the auditions.”

“That you’re 11 minutes late to, might I add.” An aggravated voice replied

“Oh eleven schmeleven, who cares! I like to call it fashionably late.” a loud cackle reverberated through the hall. The sound of footsteps walking away met Luz’s ears but she could still see Eda’s shadow under the door, her feet shuffling. 

Eda whispered through the door. “Thanks Luz, I owe you one.” before her footsteps joined the others and they both grew distant as they headed towards the audition room. Luz didn't hesitate to grasp the opportunity. 

As quiet as a mouse, she pushed the door open slowly and stuck her head out into the hall, looking both ways to check the coast was clear. Satisfied that she was alone she snuck out and tiptoed forward, coming to a massive room with beaming stage lights, an expensive looking camera and an ‘X’ taped to the centre of the floor at the end of the hallway. She didn’t have time to gawk as she caught sight of two people, one being Eda and the other presumably the woman she had been arguing with. Luz slinked behind a row of chairs hidden from their view and kept her eyes forward patiently, vibrating giddily in anticipation of the upcoming audition.

Nothing in the world could have prepared her for what she saw.

Shimmering green hair swayed into view, bouncing and fluttering, its elegant tresses flowing around her like a waterfall. The confidence this girl exuded was immensely alluring, each step she took looked calculated and rehearsed. Luz was bewitched by her sharp eyes, her expertly applied eyeliner only serving to amplify the charming amber of her irises. Her presence was breathtaking. No matter what Luz did she could not force her gaze away.

Her heart was beating a million times a second, the sheer beauty of the girl was irresistible. The girl stood on the x and delicately pushed a lock of green hair behind her ear before clearing her throat and staring straight into the camera.

“Hello, My name is Amity Blight, I am 14 years old and I will be auditioning for the part of Azura.”

Amity Blight… Luz liked the way it rolled off the tongue.

Then it hit her. They’re auditioning for the same role! Judging from the character-accurate green hair, how stunning she was and no doubt talented, Amity was bound to score the role...

Luz shifted from crouching to kneeling on the floor to try and get more comfortable. She peeked over the back of the chair she was currently hiding behind and observed intently, analyzing each detail on the girl’s face. She appeared calm and collected, a small grin of confidence tugging at her lips.

At this point, Luz was already convinced she had to kiss her dream goodbye. Amity was clearly a far more experienced and talented actor than Luz would ever hope to be. Auditioning for some measly school play didn't hold a candle to this kind of professional setting.

Luz shook her head. Think optimistic thoughts! Keep your head in the game! This is one girl! Nothing has changed, the audition hadn’t even started yet.

“I am the good witch Azura! Warrior of peace!-“ Like magic, Amity breathed life into her words and Luz’s hastily gathered optimism went up in flames. She stepped forward, eyes narrowed and unyielding, flawlessly falling into character. Her actions were smooth and rehearsed, each word and motion deliberate and effective. The beauty and power she wielded as she performed demanded everyone's undivided attention, and Luz was caught in it like a web.

This scene from the book was her favorite! Watching it pan out before her so expertly was exhilarating and Luz was on the edge of her metaphorical seat. It felt as though as soon as it had begun it was over, and Amity stood tall, embellishing the performance with a genuine smile that shone brighter than any of the stage lights.

“Thank you, Amity, we will keep in touch. As of now, you can go, and once again I am very sorry for the delay.” That unfamiliar voice spoke up again.

“There is no need to worry Ms. Lilith, thank you for your time.” Amity bowed politely before taking her leave.

It was silent for a couple seconds, only the scritch scratch of pens scuffing against paper filling the void in the room.

“I think she’s perfect for the role.” The pale woman with dark hair piped up, the one who had been addressed as “Ms. Lilith”

“She’s your protege, of course you think that.” Luz could practically hear the roll of Eda’s eyes..

It was silent again, the atmosphere tense. It felt thick enough to be sliced open with a knife.

“That doesn’t matter, we will talk this over later. Go fetch the next person.”

Eda let out a low growl before grumbling out a “fine.” She stood and stretched, using her height to peer over the chairs behind them in search of a familiar brown head of hair. She could distinguish Luz’s face somewhat in the darkness so she strolled over casually, casting a quick look behind her to make sure her sister wasn’t watching. Lilith was too preoccupied writing down notes on her own clipboard to pay them any mind.

“Psst, come here.” Luz nodded silently and inched her way back into the hall, careful not to knock anything over as she went. They walked down the hall together for a bit before Eda stopped them and grasped at a doorknob. “I'm gonna do you a favor here kid, I’ll walk you out to the main room and pick up your sign up sheets so we can get you in for an audition now instead of you having to wait around like all those other chumps.” Despite the tone she spoke in, Eda had a kind smile on her face.

Luz agreed eagerly before catching herself mid nod. “Oh man, I totally forgot about that, hopefully my mom was able to fill it out.” She ran a hand through her hair, anxiety beginning to creep in.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Eda opened the door and stepped out, an uncharacteristically serious expression taking over her face. Immediately, Luz noticed her mom at the front desk with the papers in hand and released an audible “whew” of relief.

Eda marched towards the tables adorned with scattered sign up sheets and caught the attention of the receptionist sitting there. “I need the information for Luz Noceda?” 

Another voice cut in “I have them here.” Eda eyed the woman before her, several familiar features sticking out to her. 

“You must be Luz’s mom?” 

“Yes, and who might you be?” 

Luz peaked out from behind Eda and shot her mom a million dollar smile.

“I'm Eda, one of the people in charge of these auditions. Your child is up now. Each audition is private so you can’t attend, and I will be needing those papers.” Eda pointed at the sheets in Camilia’s hand. “Don't worry, it shouldn’t take too long and you’ll be out of here before you know it.”

Camilia watched Luz send her two thumbs up and nodded slowly, still perplexed, but not against the prospect of leaving early. She handed the papers over to Eda who skimmed over the information quickly to make sure it was all filled out correctly. 

“Come on kid, you got an audition to do.” Eda was already walking back towards the room they were in previously while Luz gave her mom a quick hug and whispered a ‘thank you thank you thank you-‘ before falling back into step behind Eda.

On the way to the audition room, Eda began laying out ground rules. “Okay so, usually we do auditions through videos, however this studio has enough money to do whatever the hell they please. If you’ve never been to an audition before, we have a camera filming every performance to review later and you’ll be given a script along side the sign in which I happen to have-“ Eda began searching through the pile of papers before finding the script she was referring to and dropping it in Luz’s hands. “Normally you’d have more time to rehearse but since we’re doing this now… hope you know your Azura lines well enough.”

Luz glanced at the familiar monologue in her hands and scoffed confidently. Any Good Witch Azura fan would know these words by heart, this was gonna be a piece of cake.

“Make sure to keep your cool kid, don't overthink it, and be sure to introduce yourself. The X on the floor will show you exactly where you need to stand.” Before Luz knew it, her feet were already carrying her towards the X on the small platform and Eda was no longer guiding her, instead sitting herself down next to her sister. 

Despite her earlier bravado, Luz began to feel the anxiety crawl up her neck and constrict her throat. The weight of the situation finally dawned on her as she scuffed her feet against the stage floor. In this moment she wanted nothing more than to run, disqualify herself and forfeit the role to that Amity girl from earlier. Shakily, Luz positioned herself over the taped x and cleared her throat, voice already weak and cracking.

“Uhm, I’m Luz Noceda, i’m 14 and I’ll be auditioning for the role of Azura.” Contrary to the girl before her, Luz’s nervousness was radiating off of her in droves, her stance hunched over and uncertain.

Forgetting about the camera blinking red for record, Luz stared down at the words on the script in front of her and scrutinised each and every letter, hoping to distract herself from the feeling of dread in her stomach. No, she knew this by heart, she could do this! She’d never had a problem performing before, she couldn’t let the fear of rejection hold her back. Who cares how good that Amity girl was! Luz had been playing out scenes from the Azura books for years, giving each character a unique voice and personality, her younger self projecting the scenes into reality with gusto and passion.

Luz inhaled and exhaled deeply, feeling her lungs expand and release as tranquility washed over her. She snapped her back straight and delivered a beaming smile to the camera, throwing all caution to the wind as she stepped forward and struck a triumphant pose.

“Do not underestimate me, Gildersnake, for I am the good witch Azura! Warrior of peace!”

\--

“I believe Amity is perfect for the part.” 

Eda pursed her lips, sprawled lazily across the studio room's comfortable sofa with several scoring sheets strewn across her lap. Her gaze lay on a particular sheet, re-reading the name ‘Luz Noceda’ in her head for the 5th time. A taut silence was suffocating the room, the only break in it was the quiet hum of a distant air conditioner. She began tapping the end of her pen against her clipboard to an unknown melody, preparing herself for the inevitable argument.

“She doesn’t have the spark I’m looking for.” 

“T-The spark? Excuse me?” Lilith sounded offended, as if Eda had insulted her years of hard work and training.

“Yes, the spark. Amity is a great actor, any fool with a pair of eyes can see that. The girl’s a darn prodigy.” Eda kept her gaze locked on the sheets in front of her, not actually reading but needing something, anything to not have to look her sister in the eyes. “She’s amazing for her age but we need someone real, someone who can signify peace and love and all that flowery language.”

The sound of shuffling papers cut off her train of thought. “Then who do you suggest?”

“That second kid, Luz Noceda, I believe.” the shuffling stopped.

“Her? She’s hardly professional.” Lilith’s tone was laced with disbelief.

“Oh puh-lease Lily, you’re just picking favorites here.” Eda sat up, not caring that the action knocked all her papers onto the floor. She leaned forward and felt around for the hardcover book discarded at the end of the couch. Once the familiar material reached her fingertips she grasped it and flipped it to the cover. “Don’t you think she’d fit the role better? This isn’t the live action Avatar the Last Airbender, we aren’t gonna white wash the cast.”

“Wh- Edalyn! Don’t make such crude jokes” Lilith stood up flabbergasted, her chair scraping against the floor.  
“I’m right and you know it!” Eda pointed an accusatory finger at her sister. “Amity would fit the role of Hecate a LOT better than Azura.”

Lilith contemplated the words before letting out a groan and responding, “Fine, I know you’ll never give this up. Do as you please. I’m done here.” Eda mimicked her in an irritatingly high  
pitched tone. 

“Yeah, yeah, leave. I’ll deal with the rest.” Eda knelt down to the floor and hurriedly searched for Luz’s papers, eyes flitting down the page in search of a specific set of numbers. At last, she found them and grabbed her phone from her pocket to copy down the phone number that was written in the ‘personal information’ section.

Three rings.

“Hello? Is this The Noceda residence?” 

The same voice from before, Luz’s mother, responded. “Yes?”

“Hi, this is Eda from the Great Witch Azura auditions. After vigorous deliberation, your child Luz Noceda has been selected to play as Azura for the Live Action tv show adaptation. Congratulations!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late update!!! I wanted to make this a weekly thing but GOD.... the clown I am... I took over a MONTH to write this. Anyways, I hope yall enjoy this chapter!!!

“Yowzah wowzah…” Luz’s jaw dropped in awe. She stood and gazed up at the magnificent filming studio she would be spending the entirety of her summer in. Like most people, Luz had googled the place as soon as she got the address, searching for any sort of information on the inner workings as an attempt to prepare herself. Her digging had proved inconclusive, the place was as elusive as it was gigantic. The only thing she had found were a few pictures of the outside, though those did not do the establishment any justice. It’s towering walls and gleaming lights were a lot more intimidating in person.

“Mija, make sure you’ve got everything you need.” Luz whipped around at the sound of her mom’s gentle reminder.

“I’m fine mom, I’ve got everything.” She absentmindedly drummed her fingers against the thick stack of papers she held, its tightly bound pages sporting a simple yet effective front cover, the words ‘The Good Witch Azura Script’ jumping out at her in a dramatic font.

“Hard to believe.” Camilia quipped with a teasing grin. Luz shook the dense script at her mother in response, its pages letting out a loud “fwowowm” as they flailed and wobbled.

“Jeez, this thing’s been a nightmare to keep up with.” Luz cringed slightly at the volume. She had spent several days and nights camped out under her covers reading through the script like prayer. Being such a devoted fan of the series, she had most of the dialogue memorized beforehand but multiple lines had been tweaked or removed to flow naturally in the live action adaptation. Knowing this, she wanted to be at the top of her game for this shoot, good first impressions were vital if she sought to earn the respect of her acting peers.

‘Best of all, to impress that cute girl’ An intrusive thought barged its way forward from the confines of her mind. She could feel herself smiling involuntarily at the mere thought of it before catching herself with a flush on her cheeks.

“You alright sweetie?” Camilia questioned her as she reached for her car keys to lock the vehicle.

“Y-yeah! I’m just nervous. First day and all.” Luz replied with a nervous chuckle and held the script against her hip with her arm as she wiped her clammy hands on her jean shorts before shaking them out. 

**  
  
**

Camilia decided not to dwell on it and nodded in affirmation, already marching towards the front doors. Luz trailed behind curiously, focus shifting from place to place as she attempted to take everything in. There was lush green shrubbery decorating the front entrance, its leaves kept meticulously trimmed and pristine as it lined the short staircase up to the grand double doors.

Camilia pushed said doors open and stopped short in the entrance hall.

“Oh hello. Eda right?” 

That tall woman from before was standing around waiting, presumably for them.

“Ms. Noceda! Just the woman I was looking for.” A grin split Eda’s face as she caught sight of Camilia and her daughter. “I’ll be Luz’s personal studio tour guide and mentor for anything acting related.” She shimmied about, making jazz hands as she gestured towards the large room. Camilia raised a brow in apprehension at the offer but was cut off before she could refute.

“Eda! Eda! I got the role! Can you believe it!?” Luz side stepped around her mom and hopped towards Eda with a wide excited smile. Shuffling from foot to foot she punched the air in celebration, mumbling out “yeah, yeah.” as she danced on the spot.

Eda’s eyes flickered with pride and the corners of her lips tugged up slightly in a small smile. “Yeah kid, you’re gonna learn under me now, the best actor in show biz.” She brought her fist forward in a fist bump which Luz happily reciprocated.

Camilia watched the scene play out in front of her and crossed her arms in slight worry. Maybe this would be for the best… her little girl is finally growing up…

“Don’t worry Ms. Noceda, I know how to deal with a couple scamps on set.” Eda winked.

“Camilia,” she began, realizing she had never revealed her name. “my name is Camilia Noceda.” She corrected the taller woman. “And I’ll hold you to that.” A sweet smile broke out on her formerly worried face. Turning her attention back to Luz she leaned in to give her daughter a small kiss on her forehead. “Ya me voy al trabajo mija, portate bien, I love you.” Luz wrapped her arms around her mom and squeezed tightly before replying, “Love you too mom.” As Camilia was leaving she turned back briefly and called out, “By the way Eda, I love the new hair. The grey really works for you.” before disappearing back through the entrance doors. Eda watched her go with a crooked grin tilting at her lips.

“So… is your mom single or..?” Luz’s jaw dropped.

“W-what! Eda!” She let out an aggravated groan and covered her eyes with the palms of her hands, attempting to rub the question out of existence. “I can’t believe you just asked that.” She grumbled, running her hands down her face and peeking up at Eda through her fingers with a dramatically pained expression.

“Hey, never hurts to ask.” Eda nudged Luz forward and led the way to a door on the left side of the room. She made sure to greet the receptionist with a kind smile and a flash of her ID to be granted access. The receptionist pushed a button and something beeped in approval, the keypad on the side of the door lighting up green as the door unlocked.

“She is, by the way. Don’t tell her I said that.” Luz stared straight ahead, pointedly ignoring the chuckling coming from her ‘mentor’ before marching through the now open doorway. 

“Seriously? But she’s so-“

“Nope!” Luz plugged her ears with her fingers and quickened her pace. “Don’t care! Show me to the set now please!” She rolled her eyes as the chuckling behind her turned into a booming cackle.

“Alright, alright I’ll knock it off.” Eda exaggerated her amusement by wiping fake tears out of her eyes and placed herself ahead of Luz to continue her tour. “This place is massive right? so there’s loads of other productions being filmed at the same time as ours. Avoid entering any of these other rooms unless you love spoiling your favourite shows and movies.” Eda stretched her long arms out, indicating towards the many doorways lining the hallway they were in.

“Naturally then there’s lots of celebrities here, and I mean a lot, So keep your cool. Don’t go off the rails fangirling if you run into any of them.” They turned a corner and kept treading forward. “Our studio is actually in another building, connected to this one but I’ll show you around the whole place first. Then maybe after we can prank some of the staff.” Her face beamed mischievously at the idea. Luz hummed along, nodding whenever it felt appropriate but not quite giving Eda her full undivided attention. 

She kept thinking about that stunning girl she saw from the auditions, wondering if she might run into her here, what she would say to her...

—

“Hot dog!” Luz exclaimed, captivated by the expensive looking equipment spread out across the room they'd just entered. The camera’s alone looked worth far more than anything Luz had ever owned in her life. Stage lights were strategically dotted around, bringing the set to life with their vibrant light. The set itself had clearly been thought out, filled with all sorts of considerately crafted props and decorations. Skulls hung deliberately from the walls, unlit candles framed supernatural themed books, and bizarre paintings of witches or animals scattered around all made the scene look as if it was being filmed inside a creepy witches hut or a cryptic shack of some sort. 

Dozens of people buzzed about, each intricate detail under control as they did their jobs. Checking audio levels, tweaking the camera just slightly, removing and adding certain props, reviewing their scripts. Luz seemed to be the only person who didn’t know what they were supposed to be doing.

Eda had been called on to attend to her duties almost immediately after stepping foot inside the room, so with an apologetic smile, she left Luz to fend for herself. 

Luz surveyed the area for other actors as she shifted her footing, swaying from the tips of her toes to the back of her heels. She caught sight of a vaguely familiar girl, her bouncy hair the only discernible feature Luz could see from the back. Racking her brain for the memory, it finally clicked as the girl turned around and Luz noticed the round rimmed glasses slipping down her nose. It was that girl from the audition! She appeared to be in the middle of a thrilling conversation with a boy Luz didn't recognise. He was young, clearly a lot younger than the mysterious girl and most if not all of the people around him. Despite that, he swelled with pride at his tale and blabbed on, shaking his script around to emphasise his words.

With no other clear options, Luz found herself gravitating towards them.

“A-and and I got accepted too! I couldn’t believe my luck! All that dnd practice paid o-!” The short boy stalled, noticing Luz walking up to the pair. 

“Hey!” At the sound of the greeting, the pale girl turned around with a smile.

“Hello, I’m Willow.” She replied, the boy next to her grinning widely as he added on “Hi! Im Augustus!”

The brunette took a confident step forward and waved at them. “Nice to meet you, I’m Luz! what are you guys doing?” 

“Luz?” Rather than answer the question, Augustus backtracked to confirm his suspicion. “You’re the one playing Azura?” Willow looked between the two before settling her eyes on Luz curiously.

“Oh uh, yeah I am.” A lopsided smile awkwardly pulled at her lips and Luz rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly losing her burst of confidence. “I have like no experience whatsoever, I don’t even know why I was picked.”

“Seriously!?” Without meaning to, Augustus and Willow had both yelled out in unison, the volume of their shout causing the staff members to pause and turn. Luz recoiled slightly as she felt everyone’s eyes on her. Oh boy. Willow and Gus shot Luz an apologetic smile, sheepishly uttering apologies to the staff, who turned back to their work disgruntled.

A timid chuckle bubbled up from Luz’s throat and she waved her hands dismissively, “Yeah, I’m just a huge Azura fangirl. I’ve been reading the series since I could pick up a book.”

“Sorry about that,” Willow started, “We knew Amity Blight was gonna be part of this production so it took us completely off guard that someone with zero experience got the lead role instead of her.” She blinked slowly and gasped, a delayed reaction as she realized what she had implied. “N-no offense Luz!”

“None taken! I saw that Amity girl’s performance, I’m just as stumped as you are.” Luz smiled cheerily, “Must’ve been my immense wit and charm!” She puffed out her chest proudly and fist pumped the air. Gus raised a brow in bewilderment and Willow cleared her throat, elbowing him in the gut. 

“Ow!”

“What about you two? Do you guys love the series too?” Luz was grinning wide at the prospect of meeting other fans, on the verge of squealing and practically bouncing on her heels.

“I’ve heard of it before but never read through the whole thing. I just love anything involving witches and wizards, oh and especially mythical creatures like dragons! I run my own dungeons and dragons club at school!” Augustus matched her energy as he began gushing.

Luz let out an intrigued ‘ooo’ and nodded quickly. “That sounds awesome! We should totally play together sometime!” She averted her attention to Willow who was worryingly silent.

“Well… Gus and I thought it’d be fun to work together, and my parents told me there’s a lot more opportunities here in show business.” Willow tapped her chin, furrowing her brows and letting loose a small frown. “But I’d much rather be tending to my garden all summer.”

“Ahh a plant lover, I can respect that.” Luz ran a finger over the edge of her dense script and hummed. “So what’s going on around here? What are we supposed to do exactly?” 

“Everyone’s getting their outfits ready in the fitting room. Gus and I still need to be fitted for the latex witch ears so we’re waiting our turn with the makeup artists. You should probably get changed and put the Azura wig on.” Willow nodded towards a smaller room tucked off to the side, far away from any camera or stage light.

Several men and women moved around, lingering outside the room with brushes and strange materials in hand. Upon further inspection Luz realized there were mirrors lining the wall inside with dozens of lights framing their sides, hundreds of different make up kits covering the tables in front of them. 

“Oh! I’ll do that right away, you said it was in that room?” Luz began walking but continued watching Willow, awaiting confirmation.

“Yes, that’s the fitting room, your outfit should be in there and then you need to get your makeup done next! Just talk to- WAIT LUZ WATCH OUT FOR THE-!” Willow cupped her hand around her mouth in alarm and Luz yelped out a strange cross between “what” and “where” before snapping her gaze down to her feet as her world shifted sideways blindingly quick, her mind unable to process what was happening until her chin met laminated flooring with a painful thud.

“Cables…” Willow and Gus inhaled sharply as they cringed. 

“Great, who’s the moron that hired  _ this _ runner.” An unfamiliar voice piped up.

Luz cracked an eye open tentatively to find herself sprawled out in front of a tall directors chair, currently in use as part of a makeshift makeup station. Her gaze trailed up a pair of legs, one crossed over the other and found herself admiring the beautiful recreation of Hecate’s navy blue dress. The silky smooth fabric was sewn perfectly, each minute detail scrupulously portrayed. The many Hecate cosplays she had seen in her time didn’t hold a candle to this.

She lifted her gaze further to catch sight of who exactly was wearing the dress and audibly choked, imitating the sound of a garbage disposal.

Amity Blight.

Red. Her hair was red.

Somehow, Luz longed for the mint green hair she had seen previously but wasn’t opposed to the new look… it seemed this girl made everything look good. Her ears were large and pointy, elf like and elegant. Luz couldn’t help but kudos the make up artists for their hard work, it looked far too realistic.

Amity leaned back with a devious smirk and giggled as the girl standing next to her whispered something in her ear. They were gossiping, that much was true, yet Luz couldn’t find it in herself to care at that moment, she couldn’t even shake herself out of her stupor long enough to notice everyone was staring at her.

“Boscha please, you know how management is, they’ll hire just about anybody nowadays.” Amity rolled her eyes.

Luz could feel two people kneeling over her and finally blinked herself back into reality as Willow began bombarding her with questions. Gus went to grab Luz’s arm but froze as Amity stood from her chair, sauntering over to them with the grace of a greek goddess before standing over Luz and offering her hand. 

Without a second thought Luz took it and allowed Amity to pull her up. Her hand was soft, not a trace of callus, and addictively warm. 

She didn’t want to let go but Amity had other plans. The girl took a step back, letting her arm fall and Luz’s hand felt unusually cold in its absence, lonesome but tingly.

“Are you alright?” It didn't feel entirely genuine. “Watch where you’re going next time, this is a studio, there’s cables carelessly placed everywhere. I’m sure being a runner in a big place like this can be overwhelming, you’ll get the hang of it soon enough.”

It finally registered in the brunette’s brain that she hadn’t said anything this whole time. She opened her mouth to correct her mistake but stumbled over her words.

“A-actually I’m- I’m not a runner… I’m playing Azura. M-my name’s Luz.”

Something in Amity snapped at those words, not really noticeable to anybody else but Luz was close enough to see her left eye twitch. 

“Oh, it gets worse.” She sounded bitter. “So you’re the amateur huh? You’d think the lead could at least stand on her own two feet.” A laugh rang out behind her, the fuschia haired girl sneering at them.

Luz frowned, the rose tinted glasses she’d previously worn for Amity cracking. 

“Hey, don’t-“ 

“-FILMING STARTS IN 10 MINUTES!” she was cut short by director Bump’s staticky voice filling her ears as he spoke loudly into his favorite megaphone.

Luz’s eyes flashed with alarm and she bolted, but not before groaning out, “We’ll continue this later!” She received no response but pushed through, barreling through the door and lurching into the fitting room. With a quick glance around the room Luz caught sight of Azura’s iconic outfit and snatched it, so panicked she took no time to admire the handiwork.

A knock sounded at the door as Luz dashed into one of the mini stalls to haphazardly change out of her clothes. “Augustus and I are gonna get our makeup done, meet us there when you’re done!”

“Uh Huh! I’ll be right there!”

In one swift motion, Luz yanked the dress over herself and adjusted the fabric slightly so it was comfortable. She twirled, watching as the loose material flowed around her and smiled wide. 

This is all she’d ever wanted.

Observing herself in the mirror in front of her she released a childish giggle, noting all the details on the dress that were translated exactly from the covers of the books. She ran her fingers through the fabric in awe and whispered “Woaahh…” under her breath, but awoke from her bliss once she recalled what Willow had said. “Right, head in the game Luz, you’ve got a scene to nail.” She lightly slapped her cheeks and nodded with a small “hmph.”

Once outside she marched towards the make up booth, patting her dress down to flow better as she walked… and totally not to discreetly flaunt and show it off like some unprofessional kid… no way.

A much older man stood beside a mannequin head, delicately framing and styling the wig it wore in concentration. He didn’t seem to pay any mind to her at first so Luz tilted her head to take a closer look and gasped as she caught sight of it. It was the Azura wig that Willow mentioned earlier.

She cleared her throat and the man pulled back to address her. “Finally you’re here.” He smiled. 

With a flick of his wrist he spun the makeup chair to face her and tapped softly on the seat. “Right this way young lady, I’ve gotta prep you for the big screen.” Luz nearly squealed and sat herself down, barely able to contain her elation.

“First we’ll start with the wig.” He grabbed a comb and started brushing her hair back. “It's already short so I just need to fix it for the cap, I’ll be done before you know it.”

“Okay…” Luz sat back in the chair and let out a sigh of relief, finally allowing herself to wind down after the stress of being potentially late to the shoot.

“Your dress looks so cute!” 

“Whuh..?” She turned her head warily. “Oh! Hey Willow, thanks!”   
  
Willow was sitting in the chair right beside her with an accompanying Gus on the chair after that, his latex ears already in place. The former was currently being surrounded by two make up artists, both working with inhuman speed as one did her make-up and the other molded the latex on her ears into points.

“Gus and I were waiting for you.” Willow peered at her from around one of the artists.

“Sorry, I was busy admiring the dress.” Luz chuckled. She kept watch ahead, keeping a close eye on the staff members and making mental notes of all their roles. The floor manager was barking out orders and pacing around, making sure everything was in order and occasionally murmuring into his microphone to relay information to the control room. Boom mics were being tweaked and tested for a final time, the camera’s were ready to go and the cast were currently giving their scripts one last once-over.

Speaking of the cast…   
  
She found her attention being dragged towards none other than Amity Blight. She was reading through her script too, clearly not paying attention to whatever Boscha was babbling on about as she ran her smooth fingers over the text to keep her place. Brows furrowed, her tongue was sticking out of her mouth slightly in concentration, and Luz couldn’t help but marvel at her gorgeous face. She traced her eyes over the girl’s pointed ears and down to her equally sharp chin before gradually inching towards her lips.

Amity suddenly moved. Boscha was shaking her rapidly by her shoulders, pointing towards Luz with a nod. Boscha had caught her staring!   
  
They locked eyes and Luz’s heart skipped a beat.

Amity only rolled her eyes and turned back to her script, much to Luz’s chagrin. She sighed.   
  
“So, what’s up with that Amity girl?” Luz tried asking casually.

“What do you mean?” Willow replied.   
  
“Why’s everyone so… I don’t know, crazy about her.” she tried to ignore the voice in her head yelling about how electrifying it felt to have those golden eyes staring back into her own.   
  
“Well, she’s a Blight.” Willow stated simply.

“What do you mean ‘a’ Blight…?”   
  


Willow raised a brow and turned to face her. “You… don’t know?” This also caught Augustus’ attention as he tilted his head to the side like a puppy.   
  
“When you say it like that, now I feel like I should!” Luz mumbled, self consciously shrinking into herself.

“The Blights are a huge name in show business!” Gus piped up.

“Yes, I’m surprised you haven't heard of them. They’re in so many movies and shows, the whole family are actors. And they’re super rich!” Willow nodded along.

“Maybe I have, I’m just not the best at remembering names.” The wig was fixed in place and the make up artist had moved on to dabbing concealer on her face.

“As far as I’m aware, Amity hasn’t been in any big movie or show, just small things here and there, I’m pretty sure this is her first big role.” Willow stood, her latex ears finally done and she inspected them in the mirror in wonder.

“The blights practically co-own this place with how much they record here, The role for Azura was pretty much guaranteed to be hers when she auditioned.” Gus shrugged, “You must've been really good to make them change their minds.”

Luz frowned, a sinking feeling at the pit of her stomach. “It’s starting to feel like some strings were pulled.” She mumbled and tapped the tip of her pointer fingers together.

The make up artist clicked his tongue and quietly told her, “Don’t move too much, it’ll ruin the make up.”

“Oh, sorry.” Luz grinned sheepishly. “How come her hair is red?” She added as an afterthought.

Willow, satisfied with her scrutinizing, turned to her and hummed, “Well, usually actors would just wear wigs but the Blights are a little over the top when it comes to these things, she probably had it dyed to fit hecate's hair color.”

“Yeah… her green hair was pretty though.” Luz let slip once again.

“Green ha-?”

The makeup artist interrupted Willow with a “Ta-da!” turning the chair to face the mirror. Luz stood to take a closer look and whistled, appreciating the new look.

“Oh wow! I look just like Azura!” She struck a dramatic pose, arm extended as if she had a staff in hand.

“Yeah well Azura, you gotta get to work.” Gus pointed towards the set and Luz gasped, remembering her role.

“Right! Let's go!” She thanked the makeup artist and grabbed Willow and Gus’ hands to drag them towards the set.

They arrive just in time for the floor manager to turn to them and direct Luz, “You’re on now.”

She nodded fervently and picked up the bottom of the dress to avoid tripping on the fabric as she rushed towards her position in front of the camera.

“Alright, we’re gonna be filming the first scene now, places everyone.”

Amity stood off set, quietly observing. Luz’s cheeks heated up as she watched Amity’s eyes take her in, raking up from her shoes to her witches hat.

Is she… checking me out?

Luz could only hope.

“Action!”

”I-uh- whuh-“ Luz splutters, not having prepared for the scene in the slightest. What scene was she in..?   
  


She panicked and Bump rolled his eyes, silently pointing at her and motioning his hands into a circle to let her know to keep going.

“I… um… the good witch Azura… will defeat… you…?” Luz tried bashfully.

“CUT!” The man groaned in exasperation. “What was that? We’re nowhere near that scene.” He brought his hands up to massage his temples.

“I’m so sorry sir! I’ll get it right this time I promise!”

A familiar voice laughed cattily and Luz narrowed her eyes in its direction. Amity crossed her arms and sidled up to her, leaning in and mockingly whispering “Nice one, amateur.” Before turning on her heel and arrogantly flipping her hair as she walked away.

“Lets try again, 5, 4, 3-“

\-------------------------------

After an extensive and harsh day of filming the same few scenes over and over again, they finally decided they had the footage they needed and Luz groaned out the most relieved sigh she could muster.

“Finally! Who knew all this acting biz would be so much work.”

Eda clapped her on the back with a large smile. “Just wait til I show up, you’ll be a goner kid.” She cackled loudly.

Luz playfully shoved her off and headed towards the fitting room to remove her Azura outfit and finally be free from her silky prison. Not without sneaking a couple of pictures of her in it first though.

At last, she left the room and searched the area, noting a distinct lack of fuschia and red hair. Most people were heading home so they had probably left too.

Luz ran a hand through her short, brunette locks and sauntered towards the exit. Having short hair had never felt so good, especially after removing that suffocating long wig.

“Amity’s been pretty nasty towards me.” Luz mumbled, carrying her script in her arms.

“Maybe she has a right to be mad, something doesn’t feel right.” She walked down the halls alone, trying to recall the tour from that morning.

“Gus said she was supposed to have the role, not me.” She stared down at her shaky hands. “I know I’m not nearly as talented as her but…” 

“Maybe I should apologize.” 

“Apologize for what?” Eda came up behind her and Luz yelped, nearly dropping her script. 

“Nothing! did Amity leave already?” 

Eda opened the door in front of them and let Luz pass first. “I saw her leave not that long ago, if you hurry you could probably catch her outside.”

Luz didn't bother responding and broke into a sprint towards the main doors, shoving them open and darting down the stairs. There, at the end of the street a limousine was parked against the curb and a large man in a dark suit opened the door for Amity to step in.

“Amity! Wait!”

If she heard it, she didn't acknowledge it as she perched haughtily on her seat, allowing the man to close the door. Said man then marched back around to his spot in the passenger's seat.

Luz reached the sleek limousine and paused to catch her breath, holding herself up by her hands on her knees.

“Ami-“ the window rolled up before she could finish.

Luz simply stared at her reflection in the tinted window in shock. She must look so pathetic right now.

She tapped on the glass but no response, “Wait, I want to-“ 

The engine came to life, cutting her off as the limousine began to drive away.

“Talk.” Luz let her arm drop. Her hand felt lonely again, aching for that tingly feeling from before.


End file.
